HRF celebrates the release of Venezuelan prisoners of conscience and calls for the release of all those held arbitrarily

NEW YORK (Jan. 14, 2026) — The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) welcomes the release of a group of Venezuelan prisoners of conscience, including the 2025 Thulani Maseko Justice Prize laureate, Rocío San Miguel. Last week, the regime said it would release many political prisoners. Prior to this announcement, the regime had imprisoned more than 800 human rights defenders, opposition members, journalists, and protesters, whom it subjected to torture and inhumane treatment while in detention. However, since the announcement, only 74 people have been released, according to independent organizations. Thousands of family members of remaining prisoners have been left in anguish, waiting outside of detention centers to receive information on their loved ones. The regime must release all those still held under politically motivated charges and give way to a peaceful democratic transition.

Rocío San Miguel, a prominent human rights defender, anti-corruption campaigner, and president of the NGO Control Ciudadano, was unlawfully detained in February 2024, as the regime ramped up persecution and harassment of critics and opposition members ahead of the 2024 presidential election. San Miguel was held incommunicado for weeks until her whereabouts could be ascertained. HRF awarded her the 2025 Maseko Prize in recognition of her work and courage as a lawyer promoting and protecting human rights under the Venezuelan dictatorship. Her release comes almost two years after her arbitrary arrest, but she is not yet free: the regime is keeping her under precautionary measures, and she still faces politically motivated charges. Only a dismissal of all trumped-up charges against San Miguel and all those arbitrarily detained will represent real freedom from unlawful persecution.

Others released in the last few days were detained after Maduro’s regime fraudulently claimed victory in the July 2024 election. To consolidate its grip on power, the regime launched a systematic, months-long campaign to persecute opposition members and protesters, forcibly disappearing at least fifteen people and arbitrarily detaining more than 2,000 others.

Former National Assembly lawmaker and opposition leader Biagio Pilieri, and Enrique Márquez, former lawmaker and presidential candidate, were among the very few released in the 24 hours following the announcement by the regime.

“We welcome last week’s announcement and celebrate the return of all those released, but we will not rest until everyone who continues to be arbitrarily detained or disappeared can return home to their families. Although dictator Nicolás Maduro has been deposed, his regime is still alive and continues to be led by some of the most notorious criminals and rights violators in the hemisphere. We cannot allow the release of some prisoners of conscience to become an empty gesture that allows for the long-term survival of the brutal chavista dictatorship,” said Céline Boustani, president of HRF.

“This gesture cannot replace the justice and accountability owed to those who endured the regime’s torture and ill treament while unlawfully imprisoned,” added Boustani. “Any transition to democracy must include a thorough process to hold to account those responsible for the perpetration of gross human rights violations and crimes against humanity against the Venezuelan people.”

HRF will continue to monitor the situation in Venezuela and support those working to promote a peaceful democratic transition. At this pivotal moment, full respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law are fundamental for any genuine and sustainable return to democracy.

The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies.

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